Lesson 79. अलङ्कार विचारः। Alankara-Vichara
How beautiful is the world, bedecked with a natural loveliness! How the senses hunger for beauty! It is but natural that we appreciate magnificence and splendour..... those which are attributes of the Divine. Devi Bhavani is bejeweled कर्णभूषण s, garlands, necklaces, bangles, anklets, etc. Her beloved शङ्कर the Lord of the वैरागी s is also adorned with the चिताभस्म, सर्पमाला , a crescent, and Ganga on His जटा । Lord Vishnu is ornamented with शङ्ख, चक्र, गदा, पद्म, वैजयन्ती माला, पीताम्बर । Our beloved गुरुदेवः also shines with His divine ornaments of भक्ति, ज्ञान, विवेक, वैराग्य, करुणा , etc. Similarly, वाग्देवी is also decorated with different literary ornaments when she presents Herself in the form of literary compositions.
The poets treat literary compositions like a Goddess. As a Goddess is beautified with ear-rings, bangles, necklace and other ornaments so is poetry beautified with figures of speech which are called अलङ्कार s. These ornaments or अलङ्कार s are of two types-- शब्दालङ्कार (figure of speech relating to sound) and अर्थालङ्कार (figure of speech relating to the expression). As ornaments enhance external beauty so also शब्दालङ्कार s add to the beauty of the language with attractive sounding words. However, just as true beauty lies in grace and in one's inner qualities, one's language must be able to express one's inner most feelings through it's richness of meaning. Therefore both शब्दालङ्कार s and अर्थालङ्कार s are equally held in high esteem in Sanskrit literature.
(Alliteration): In spite of different vowels, if consonants are repeatedly used in a line, then it is called अनुप्रासः। You will find a lot of them in Pujya Swamiji’s bhajans, Shankaracharya’s stotras and also in the Deep-Namaskara we chant every evening. Let us see a few examples :
• लीलालब्ध-स्थापित-लुप्ताखिललोकां लोकातीतैर्योगिभिरन्तश्चिरमृग्याम् । ( गौरीदशकम् )
• भवानीभावनागम्या भवारण्यकुठारिका । ( ललितासहस्त्रनाम )
• तारतार तरैरेति रौति तित्तिरी तीरे तीरे तरौ तरौ ।
• धराधरसुतानाथ धूर्जटे धवलप्रभ । धूपमाघ्रापयामीश दशाङ्गं गुग्गुलान्वितम् । (धूपम् -in शिवपूजनम्)
• लीलालोलितलोचनां स्मितमुखीम् आबद्धकाञ्चीस्रृजम् । ( भुवनेश्वरीमहास्तोत्रम् )
• भगवद्पादयतीश्वरचरणं भाष्यकारयोगेश्वरचरणम् । भक्तिरसामृतवर्षकचरणं भारतधर्मप्रवर्तकचरणम् ।। ( भजन )
• जनः को जानीते जननि जपनीयं जपविधौ । ( देव्यापराधक्षमापनस्तोत्रम् )
• श्रीरामरामरामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे । सहस्रनामतत्तुल्यं राम नाम वरानने । । (श्री रामरक्षा स्तोत्रम् )
• शरणं तव चरणं भवहरणं मम राम । ।
When a consonant having a vowel before it is also repeated with it then it is called अन्त्यानुप्रासः । For e.g.
• बालस्तावत्क्रीडासक्तः । तरुणस्तावत्तरुणीसक्तः ।
वृद्धस्तावत् चिन्तामग्नः । परे ब्रह्मणि कोऽपि न लग्नः । । (भज गोविन्दम् )
• अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुण्डम् । दशनविहीनं जातं तुण्डम् । (भज गोविन्दम्)
When a group of letters is used to express one meaning which can also mean something else if the verse is split differently, then it is known as यमकः Eg.
कंसञ्जघान कृष्णः । काशीतलवाहिनी गङ्गा ।
केदारपोषणरताः । कम्बलवन्तं न बाधते शीतम् । (प्रहेलिका)
It may also be read in the following manner which alters the meaning completely:
कं संजघान कृष्णः ? का शीतलवाहिनी गङ्गा ?
के दारपोषणरताः ? कं बलवन्तं न बाधते शीतम् ?
When the words having more than one meaning are used in a poetic composition, then it is called श्लेषः । For example:
सुमनसा सुमनैः पूजितः ईश्वरः । It may be translated as both:
may be translated as both
The noble minded people are worshipped with flowers by the noble minded person OR
The noble minded people are worshipped with flowers by Suman.
Flowers held in the "Anjali" … one's folded palms, impart their fragrance to both hands. Oh! See the love of the flowers given to both hands equally.
The second line may also mean:
(Just as the) Noble minded people love both good and bad people equally.
When any thing is expressed in an exaggerated manner, then it is called as अतिशयोक्तिः । E.g.:
सादृश्यं सहसाप्तुमेव कमलन्तोये विधत्ते तपः । । शारदास्तोत्रम् । ।
In order to possess a blissful face like yours, O Sharada, the lotus seems to be performing penance in the water.
A quality in one thing is expressed with the help of an example which possesses similar quality or when one thing is compared to another thing on account of some similar quality, it is called उपमा । In this अलङ्कार, the thing which is compared is called उपमेयम् । The thing with which it is compared is called उपमानम् and the quality which is common in both उपमानम् and उपमेयम् , is called सामान्यधर्म । The word which is used to show the resemblance is called वाचकशब्द and could be any of the following: सम, इव, सदृश, समान and other words with a similar meaning.
• उद्यच्छशाङ्कसदृशच्छवियन्न सद्यः । ( महिषान्तकरीसूक्तम् )
• बालादित्यश्रेणिसमानद्युतिपुञ्जाम् । ( गौरीदशकम् )
• जाग्रद्बोधसुधामयूखनिचयैराप्लाव्य ......हंसीव मन्मानसे । ( भुवनेश्वरीमहास्तोत्रम् )
When उपमेयम् itself becomes an उपमानम् due to some common quality, then it is called रूपकः । Here you will find that the वाचकशब्द describing the common quality are absent.
• वैराग्यतैलसम्पूर्णे भक्तिवर्तिसमन्विते ।
विवेकपूर्णपात्रेऽहं बोधदीपं प्रदर्शये । । (दीपं - गुरुपूजनम् ) । ।
• अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः । । (गुरुस्तोत्रम् )